I still haven't opened one Christmas present from last year..._________________If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD

I forgot where I was because all of a sudden I started reading faster because it got awesome again finally. Classic scenes with Stave making a good case for Most Bad-ass Covenant Character of All Time.

you're doing better than me jay, I've not got past what has gone before!!! LOL!!!!_________________you're more advanced than a cockroach,
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies

i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio

...uuuhhhmmm...your posting here, with the mention of..." not sure where this story is going"...to me,,the whole of your communication has a subtle request for ..help..or ,,a hint of warm or cold in response to your spoilers...? yes?

If not, and you want to do it solo, then don't read this post any further. Stop HERE.

If you are reading these words then I assume you might want a little help with the..uncertain where this story is going...
Consider,,re-reading the Brinn scene when he visits TC. You mite re-evaluate Brinns words. He sees the Haruchai as beyond redemption, too far gone to change. So. what Branl and Clyme decided on..the pact they made..one of them died..killed by the other..Redemption??..Since when does more violence and death redeem previous violence and death?

What I am suggesting here is..the slow parts you ..speed read thru...don't do that. Just a suggestion..unless you know you will be back for a second read. There are set ups for a whole different way to see things in the slow parts.. There is purpose in the slow parts. A whole different way to perceive whats going has roots in the slow parts.

I can't spoil for you..and I won't. But the author wrote the slow parts and the Story is just as much if not more,,in the slow parts as in the high action segments. Nothing wrong with taking your time._________________If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD

Last edited by lurch on Wed May 21, 2014 3:24 am; edited 1 time in total

I've put together a dynamic progress meter for Jay's read. The snail will move along the line as Jay makes progress. Watch it for a while, and you'll see it move!

Enjoy!_________________* I occasionally post things on KevinsWatch because I am a fan of Stephen R. Donaldson; this should not be considered as condonation of the white nationalist propaganda for which this forum has become a platform.

Across the plains of the Land they all swept
Treachers lust at faltering stride
As Berek fled before the tide,
Till on Mount Thunder's rock-mantled side he wept.

Berek! Earthfriend! - Help and weal, Battle-aid against the foe!
Earth gives and answers Power's peal,
Ringing, Earthfriend! Help and heal!
Clean the Land from bloody death and woe!

Then Berek looked up to see the Mountain's rage
Where fire lions pounced like glee
Chasing fleeing foes merrily
And the Land's succor did Berek's soul assuage.

Fire Lions! What the! Goddammit! That bites!
That is so lame, he choked I bet.
Lost two fingers, that's all I get?!?!
I'm gonna forget this ever happened, move into the mountains, and wear a robe._________________* I occasionally post things on KevinsWatch because I am a fan of Stephen R. Donaldson; this should not be considered as condonation of the white nationalist propaganda for which this forum has become a platform.

haaa...I just realized how fire and lions are alliterative..another two word alliteration in that chapter..The other being...Only Branl.. Did you catch all the alliteration of that chapter? The whole battle with the scurj and sand gorgons..its all done in alliteration..So..if you missed that..that means you were totally into the struggle of the battle..a high wire act indeed since alone as they were, the group could not win against such numerous foes. .yet they did..
..Seems odd,, that when TC said " Nom" to save his arse way back when, that was cool and okay..but praying for the Fire Lions..some how became deus ex machina..

sob SRD literally saves the group with alliteration..fire lions....LMAO!!!_________________If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD

"SRD literally saves the group with alliteration"... seriously? This is getting ever more bizarre.

With the greatest of respect, "fire" and "lions" have no real alliteration. What I think you mean to point out is that there's a very minimal vocalic internal assonance between the two words, in that they share a long "i". However, given that there are only 5 vowels in the English language - or an absolute maximum of 20 modulated vowel phonemes, even if one is to go by the yardstick of the most anal of linguists - this simple word pair is hardly a matter of any noteworthiness.

As to "only Branl", yes there's a paired consonant group internal alliteration, but I'm extremely doubtful as to SRD coming up with Branl's name some time back in 2004 with the planned foreknowledge that he was going to use a quite deliberate and allegedly significant alliteration some nine years later. Plus of course, "only" is hardly an unusual word, with not too many apposite synonyms. Morover, I'm sure if SRD had written "solely Branl" instead, then there'd be positive literary orgasms going on over the usage of a triple "L".

Now, that's not to negate the notion that novelistic narrative never knowingly necessitates alliteration. Sure, SRD uses this simplistic device occasionally, but sparingly. Good thing too, or else the book would be nothing more than an irritatingly stilted and artificial construct, hammered kicking and screaming into an ill-fitting mould.

What repeatedly boggles my mind is the sight of an absolute and unwavering determination by some to see things that so often simply aren't there for any other reason than random chance. Just goes to show that if one compulsively and eternally looks for the non-existent, one's bound to become convinced that one's found it on numerous occasions.

So, Emperor's new clothes, I'm afraid. Holy crap - there are four "e"s in that three word phrase! What are the chances? Huh? HUH???!!!

_________________Censorship of any sort - let alone the savage irony in censoring those who argue that some look to control the agenda and debate through the very use of prejudicial censorship - demeans this place.

"If you strike me down, I shall become far stronger than you can possibly imagine."_______________________________________________* I occasionally post things here because I am a fan of SRD.

This should not be considered as any condoning of the hypocritical, snowflake, bleeding heart, white guilt-ridden, compulsively virtue-signalling and totalitarian prog Left woke zealotry which some try to force upon this forum.

mmmMMMmm..sandgorgon and scurj kebob over the alliterative embers of fire lion...yummy._________________If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD

Even Fire Lions cannot char Skurj to the point of being appetizing. As for Sandgorgon, it is possible, but I suspect that either a Zarathustra low-and-slow smoking or a Menolly brat-style grill and beer-bath soak would work better._________________Love prevails.
~ Tracie Mckinney-Hammon

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.
~ Rainier Maria Rilke